His Forever Boy
by AuroraBanshee
Summary: "What would you do if Blaine proposed to you today?" "Did you learn anything from Finn and Rachel?" "They are completely different. Completely different." But what does Kurt think? Kurt's thoughts on a Klaine wedding, soon to be followed by Blaine's. Part three of three is up. (But I'm also a liar and may add another chapter.)
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned Glee, and neither do I claim so. I use the show's character's with the utmost respect for its owners and am not planning any money-making schemes._

_This chapter directly pulls dialogue from Season Three's "The Spanish Teacher."_

...

"_What would you do if Blaine proposed to you today?"_

When Rachel had asked him that last year, it had shut him up pretty effectively. At the time, though Kurt had been loathe to admit it, Rachel was right. He would have said yes to Blaine had he asked. Whether Blaine had gotten down on one knee with a proper engagement ring or another ring made of gum wrappers, Kurt would have had no choice but to say yes, probably with embarrassing squeals and tears worthy of a thirteen-year-old fangirl. Like Rachel said about Finn, Kurt _knew_ that he and Blaine were meant for each other.

But...

But it still wasn't the same.

"_We're better than you are, Rachel. Blaine and I will make it."_

He hadn't said it in deference to her feelings, but he'd certainly thought it. He and Blaine had faced crazy hardships together and apart. They weren't as naïve as Rachel. They had been more world-ready two years ago than she is now because of those hardships.

Plus, they were _stable_. They complimented each other like that. Kurt could be bitchy and passive-aggressive, but Blaine was always there to talk things out and calm him down. In return, Blaine, while usually calm and collected, could be volatile and physically aggressive, and Kurt was there for him during those times. Between the two of them, they always worked out their problems maturely. In contrast, Rachel's self-centered dramatics and Finn's oftentimes-hurtful obliviousness had only led to a sporadic on-again-off-again relationship of ridiculous proportions. They may love each other, may be passionate about each other, but they would never work in the long run. They didn't want the same things, not like he and Blaine did.

Besides, even if he had proposed, Kurt and Blaine legally _couldn't_ get married yet anyway. Who knew how long they'd have to wait? Kurt briefly wondered if Rachel had even thought of that when she'd asked. _Probably not_.

But, and he'd started daydreaming at some point, they'd have a long engagement no matter what. Kurt wanted to wait until after college, maybe after he'd really gotten his foot in the door in New York theater. He wanted to live together first. He wanted to have silly arguments about conflicting schedules and who was supposed to do the dishes and _why didn't we choose that other place again?_ He wanted to have the serious arguments, too, where one of them would run off and both of them would be in tears. He wanted the pain that came with it, because the making up would be so much better. It would make _them_ so much better. He wanted the mornings waking up together, the lazy days when neither of them are busy, the "I love you" that they would always say when they parted for the day. He wanted to finally get to that day when one of them says, "I think we're really ready to get married."

Kurt had wanted _so much_, but mostly, he had just wanted Blaine.

Now, only a year later, Kurt could see how foolish he'd been. He was glad that Blaine hadn't asked, glad he hadn't accepted. They still had so much to learn. They hadn't been as prepared as he'd thought.

And maybe he was even a little glad that they'd broken up.

He loved Blaine, still loved Blaine. He could still see them having forever, but first they needed to relearn themselves. They needed to get through the rest of the year apart and living their own lives. They couldn't make huge decisions just based on their relationship. (He cringed whenever he thought about how he'd convinced Blaine to leave Dalton for him. True, it would have been harder, especially with Sebastian lurking, but maybe that's what they really needed.)

They'd both been in the wrong last fall. They could move past it, but they also had to _learn_ from it. Kurt had to remember that he couldn't take Blaine for granted. He had to learn to listen better, because it was so clear now that Blaine had been crying for help for weeks and he'd ignored him. The idea of another's hands on Blaine still sickened him, and maybe that's why he'd been so eager to reacquaint himself with Blaine's body at the not-wedding, so eager to replace the memory of those hands with his own. Maybe he'd just wanted Blaine that much.

Either way, the past year had been an eye-opener. As he looked at Blaine now, only moments after Regionals and the actual wedding, he was happy with where they were. They weren't "hooking up," nor were they awkward around each other. They were friends again. They could tease and vent and just _talk_ like they'd been able to before. Occasionally, when their past relationship was hinted at, they'd freeze, unsure how to proceed for a second. They'd make eye contact, Blaine giving him a look that said "I'm ready for us, but I get that you're not so I'm okay waiting." Then they'd respond and move on.

They'd work their way through the rest of the school year. Then, maybe they'd talk about officially getting together again. Kurt wasn't sure what he and Rachel planned on doing about summer, whether they'd give up their new home in the hopes of finding something again next year or if they'd just stay in New York. He didn't know if Blaine planned on dorms or finding somewhere of his own _(or with Kurt?)_. They had time, though. They could figure it out.

And maybe next year Blaine would see that he wanted to take a break from their relationship anyway. Blaine had never lived in New York or been to NYADA, where gay men wouldn't hesitate to ask him out. Maybe he'd want to do some... exploration of his own.

Kurt could be okay with that. He understood the need for personal growth. He was still growing himself. Even if they were both in New York right now, taking classes at NYADA together, he wouldn't be ready. The pain of Blaine's betrayal still felt too raw at times, and Kurt needed to figure out what to do with that, _how_ to move on from that completely. And maybe Blaine still needed to earn his trust back.

Kurt realized that he'd been staring at Blaine when the boy looked over at him, eyes crinkled with merriment.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Blaine asked.

"I'm just glad to be here." _With you._ _I'm glad that this is okay again._

Blaine's smile became even more blinding, as if he'd heard the unspoken words. He leaned towards Kurt, maybe to kiss him, but then appeared to think better of it. Instead, he said, "I'm glad you're here, too."

His countenance was suddenly earnest in its seriousness. Then, like a switch had been flipped, he turned back to the celebration.

Kurt's thoughts drifted back to Rachel's words again.

"_Look, I know that I have the right person. The scary part was just choosing to know it."_

Kurt could see his forever with Blaine, even if he didn't think they were ready to dive in yet.

…

_Author's Notes:_

_While this can be read on it's own, this is the first of three (four?) parts, so it'll remain incomplete until I get the other chapters up. Next will be Blaine's thoughts on marriage after his talk with Burt in Season Four's "Wonder-ful," which was an awesome scene by the way. After that will be Blaine's proposal. The fourth, if I choose to do it, will remain a mystery for now._

_Something just really struck me during the scene between Blaine and Burt. Blaine sounded kind of ridiculous saying that they were _completely different_ from Finn and Rachel, but I remember thinking that Kurt probably thought the same thing back then. I didn't have time to do anything with it when the episode first aired, but now I do, so here it is._

_Also, this, like all my work thus far, is un-betaed. Please feel free to give me some tips for improving, or review just to let me know that I'm doing something right._

_Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned Glee, and neither do I claim so. I use the show's character's with the utmost respect for its owners and am not planning any money-making schemes._

_This chapter directly pulls dialogue from Season Two's "Silly Love Songs" and Season Three's "Heart," as well as Season Four's "The Break Up," "Dynamic Duets," and "Wonder-ful." Because I apparently got a little quote crazy for this one._

_..._

"_So... you're saying that you're okay with me asking for his hand?"_

"_Oh, of course not. No. You're still kids."_

Burt just didn't get it. Blaine wasn't thinking about this from the perspective of a _kid_. He may not be very old physically, but he was mature enough to make this decision, especially now. Six months ago, maybe he wasn't. Six months ago, he hadn't been able to handle the mere thought of Kurt away at college without him. It was still a difficult concept; now, though, he understood that they could have dealt with it better, sooner, so that it wouldn't have gotten so out of hand.

Blaine wished _so much_ that he'd realized it sooner.

They were friends again, but it wasn't enough. It could _never_ be enough. Blaine was just biding his time until Kurt finally accepted what they were to each other. As he'd told Burt, they're _soul mates_. He's known that for a long time.

What happened at the failure of a wedding only reaffirmed this for Blaine. He'd been so happy to see that Kurt was willing to dip back into their more... physical relationship. Kurt may have kept _insisting_ that it didn't mean anything, which frustrated Blaine some, but he would go along with it as long as Kurt just kept doing that thing with his tongue _please. _Because he knew it was only a matter of time. Kurt felt the connection they had. He resisted, refused to acknowledge it verbally, but it was so obviously there.

And Blaine understood. He remembered the debacle with Chandler last year, how hurt he'd felt when Kurt had just been _flirting_ with another guy. Blaine had done so much worse to Kurt, and that was on top of the Sebastian troubles that they'd had before. In some ways, Blaine wasn't sure how Kurt ever trusted him. He could still hear Kurt's voice.

"_It was Sebastian, wasn't it?"_

If Kurt said no to this, Blaine wasn't sure what else he could do. He may have to admit defeat at last.

He was just so ready to be KurtandBlaine forever. He still remembered that heart-stopping moment when he realized that they legally _could _be KurtandBlaine.

He and Kurt had been awaiting the news together. They'd talked about same-sex marriage and politics plenty of times. Sometimes, it was heartbreaking, seeing some states slide backwards with talk of same-sex marriage bans. Other times, it just seemed so inevitable that marriage equality would be seen in all fifty states and maybe, just maybe, eventually in _every_ country. All they had to do was wait. It was a tiring wait, full of nights with silent cuddling when it became too much and days where all they could do when they were pushed down was stay down an extra few seconds. Sometimes, they had both confessed, they wished that they hadn't gotten back up.

So when the news had come that New York had finally passed the bill, Blaine had the immediate reaction of jumping up and down. He'd screamed and shouted and jumped on furniture, shaking Kurt's shoulders because _oh my god_ this was another victory. Why wasn't Kurt as excited as he was? Why hadn't he moved an inch?

Kurt had just looked back at him, eyes wide.

"_Kurt?"_

"_I'm going to be moving to New York, Blaine."_

Suddenly it had made sense. _Of course_ Kurt had realized it before him. While Blaine had thought about it in the abstract, it had never really _clicked._ Kurt was moving to New York. Blaine hoped to move to New York a year later. Maybe _(Definitely) _it was too soon to say it out loud, but he was pretty sure that they both knew in that moment that it would happen. _They_ would happen.

He'd had to sit down as well after that.

So, yeah. Maybe now Blaine was a little more eager to finally do it. He didn't care about the wedding. Kurt could do whatever he wanted with it, full creative license. Blaine just wanted the marriage. He wanted the forever. He wanted the assurance that they would be it, that they _(he) _wouldn't screw it up.

"_I really really care about you... I don't want to screw this up."_

Mind, body, and soul, Blaine knew that he would spend the rest of his days with Kurt. He felt it in every step forward, every beat of his heart, every breath from his lungs. He knew this fact like he knew his own name.

"_I got to thinking that maybe Kurt and I weren't meant for each other, that we weren't supposed to spend the rest of our lives together. But the horrible thing is, right after I did it, I knew we were."_

Why was it a big deal to take that final leap now?

If they were to take it eventually, why not now?

Why couldn't he take Kurt's hand right now, after watching Mr. Shue's wedding and with the high of a Regionals win, and just ask?

Kurt would say yes, because Blaine didn't know what he'd do if Kurt _didn't_ say yes, and they'd finally be back together. Kurt would finally understand that Blaine would never hurt him again, that he was serious about their relationship. He'd understand that Blaine knew he had a lot to make up for but that he was willing to start _right now_. They'd hug and kiss and tears would be running down their faces and the group would have something else to celebrate that night. It'd be emotional and messy but so _so _beautiful. He would sort of wish that he'd planned his speech better. He'd lament the lack of flowers and berate himself for not telling someone to record the moment. After all, Kurt deserved everything. Still, it'd be perfect.

Then they'd have the awkward conversation of telling Kurt's dad, especially since he hadn't given his blessing when Blaine had asked before. They'd get through it, though. Burt would see how happy Kurt was and how much Kurt wanted it, too. He'd see the love they have. Maybe he still wouldn't be okay with it right away, but he would come around.

Then Kurt would have all summer to plan their wedding. Blaine wondered what season it would be in, but secretly hoped it was in the fall just so it would be that much sooner. They'd go to New York earlier than needed so that Kurt could show him around. They'd visit Kurt's favorite spots, find some of their own. They could even go to Callbacks again, even if it was kind of the last place Blaine wanted to be.

Blaine would do absolutely anything Kurt wanted. All Kurt had to say was _yes_.

So, when Kurt said he was just glad to be here, it was all Blaine could do to stop himself from getting down on one knee right then. It wouldn't be right to steal this moment from Mr. _(and now Mrs.) _Shuester. Kurt and Blaine would find their own moment later.

Still, he fingered the ring box behind his back.

"_When two people love each other like you two do, everything works out."_

Soon. Blaine would ask soon. Because Kurt was his forever and he wanted forever to start now.

…

_Author's Notes:_

_Alrighty. So this took longer than expected. Sorry about that, but I got caught up in the midst of moving. Now it's just the proposal to go. Woo hoo!_

_To clear up some confusion, Kurt's chapter and Blaine's chapter actually have the same present time (right after the actual Shuester wedding at the end of the Season Four finale "All or Nothing"); however, both chapters refer back to previous episodes as the characters reflect on past events/conversations. For both, it really only references present time at the end. Kurt's chapter predominantly refers to his conversation with Rachel and Mercedes in Season Three's "The Spanish Teacher" while Blaine's refers predominantly to his conversation with Burt in Season Four's "Wonder-ful." (Again, though, they also both allude to events/conversations during other episodes, especially Blaine's chapter.) I hope that makes a bit more sense._

_In other news,_

_Honestly, when Kurt asked Blaine if it was Sebastian, it kind of annoyed me. Yeah, I guess Kurt had reason to assume, or at least question, that it was him, but the "Sebastian's going to get Blaine" thing just seems so done with in my mind. I only included the comment in this fic because it seemed relevant to Blaine's thoughts. I remember in TBU, Blaine even seemed a little "WTF. Sebastian?" when Kurt asked. Yeah, I don't really like Sebastian, but I actually prefer to see him play (in-character) good-guy roles. I dunno. Just kind of bugged me. /End rant._

_Still un-betaed. Reviews are, as always, welcome._

_Thanks for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned Glee, and neither do I claim so. I use the show's character's with the utmost respect for its owners and am not planning any money-making schemes._

_This chapter directly pulls dialogue from Season Four's "Wonder-ful."_

…

"_Kurt is my soul mate. I know that I've hurt him badly, but I also know that if I want to get him back, I have to do something bold."_

This was the moment.

Truth be told, Blaine had been avoiding the question for a week, because it just never seemed like the right time. Every time he looked at Kurt to ask, Kurt suddenly got an incoming text message or started a new branch of conversation or had the sun hitting his face in that perfect way and looked so far out of Blaine's league that it wasn't even funny. More than a few times, if he was being honest, the words swelled from the depths of his being only to get stuck in his throat. He was pathetic. For all of his big talk to Sam and even Kurt's dad, Blaine was still nervous because of that _what if_.

What if his world came crashing down around him _again_? What if this final attempt at salvaging their relationship failed? What if he had truly lost Kurt forever? _What if?_

But Blaine knew it had to be now. He'd been telling himself that for the last day and a half because Kurt was going to be in New York again and then he could be with Adam or any other guy he wanted. Blaine couldn't let that happen. He had to put away his anxiety and somehow ask before Kurt left. Unfortunately, Kurt left for the airport in about three hours now.

"_It's going to be okay."_

"_How do you know that, though?"_

That being said, in this moment, it still wasn't the driving force behind Blaine's sudden decisiveness. He wasn't sure what it was exactly. They were just lying on Kurt's bed, talking. Now that Kurt wasn't worrying about his dad's cancer (as much) and Blaine wasn't busy with practice for Regionals, they had more time to catch up on the daily drudgery of each other's lives. Kurt was describing New York life and his busy schedule as both a Vogue intern and a NYADA student, which didn't bother Blaine nearly as much as it used to. It was kind of peaceful. Actually, it reminded him of their coffee date after Kurt's trip to the city for Nationals. He was simply overcome by his love for Kurt Hummel and the words just slipped out.

"Will you marry me?"

He didn't register the words at first but then didn't regret them once he had. He was glad they were out there. Blaine wasn't even worried about how Kurt's eyes had widened and he had stopped talking altogether. The shock must have been a lot, just like when Blaine had said "I love you." In this moment, though, Blaine knew that Kurt wouldn't say no.

"Blaine," Kurt started, eyes still wide and voice hushed, "You can't be serious."

_Ouch. _That hurt.

"Look, Kurt." Deep breath. "I told you a long time ago: I've been looking for you forever. I love you. You're it for me. We'll both be in New York next year and we can finally get ma-"

"Don't say it." Kurt sat up in a cross-legged position, elbows resting on his thighs and fingers massaging his temples. Blaine's gaze followed the movements, confusion and hurt welling up. Sure, he'd been expecting to have to convince Kurt to an extent, but was the idea of marriage really so awful?

"Kurt..." But he was at a loss. What did he say now?

"Are you insane?" Kurt finally asked, looking up. "Blaine, you're still in high school. We don't live in the same city or even the same state. We're not even _dating_!"

_That _was the real slap in the face, and it brought the memory of Burt's reaction back full force.

"_Are you kidding or are you nuts?"_

"Well, it's not for lack of trying on my part!" With no other options, Blaine was left frustrated beyond belief. There has to be a solution to the situation. But what was he to do when Kurt rejected his every attempt? "I know I hurt you – _terribly_ – and I'm not trying to trivialize it but I _know_ we're meant to be together. Why doesn't anyone get that?"

"Blaine." Somehow, the syllable was breathed out in a sigh that sounded both exasperated and patronizing. Kurt set his hand on Blaine's shoulder and began rubbing soothing circles. "That's not what this is about."

"Just... do you imagine marrying someone else now?" Blaine asked, broken. "I was so sure that we would still end up together... Am I really just wasting my time?"

"No, it's not..." Kurt let out a noise of complete frustration. "That's not it. I don't imagine myself marrying _anyone_ right now."

"So..."

"So..." Kurt wasn't sure what to say. How should he know? He was just as clueless right now. "I do still love you. I swear I'm not trying to lead you on. I'm not going to lie, though. I'm not sure I'm... ready for more." He met Blaine's eyes, saw the disappointment. "I'm not sure that, as a couple, we're ready. In about... five hours I'm going to be on a plane to New York again. We didn't handle the distance so well last time. Neither of us did."

Kurt's eyes were sad now, regretful, looking back to moments of the past.

Blaine shrugged off Kurt's hand, which had still been resting on his shoulder, so that he could turn to face him better."I'm not going to do that again, though. That's my whole point!"

"But you're missing _my_ point. I'm not sure that _I _can do a long-distance relationship," Kurt shot right back. "I'm not sure I would be a good boyfriend right now. I don't have the time to give _anyone_ the attention that they'd deserve. If we got together now, it wouldn't be that different than if we were just friends, and there'd be hurt feelings because it _should_ be different. You deserve more, because _you matter_. We both do."

"But..." Blaine wasn't quite ready to give this up, to go back to wallowing. "If you accepted the stupid ring, there would at least be that. There would be the promise that we were going to be something more." He'd have something to think of whenever he thought of Kurt being so far away.

"You didn't actually buy a ring, did you?"

"I did." Suddenly, Blaine was like a giddy puppy, jumping for his backpack that was just on the floor. He pulled out the velvety box reverently. Another deep breath and he turned to show it to Kurt, who could only look at him in shock. "I got something simple. I was thinking of getting it engraved, but I wanted to have it before you left... I needed to give it to you before you left."

Kurt took the box carefully. He stared at it a moment without opening it, glancing at Blaine occasionally.

"Blaine..." There were tears in his eyes. Tears were good in this situation, right? "I... I can't. I- _We_ can't do this." And Blaine's hopes deflated again. What now? Kurt set the box down, still without opening it, and continued to look at it as though it would bite him if he took his eyes away. "Once upon a time, I would have accepted in a heartbeat, but I know now that we still have so much more to live through, together and apart, before we're ready for this."

"But Kurt," Blaine pleaded, "we can final-"

"It doesn't matter if we _can_ do it, Blaine," Kurt cut in, sharp and swift, but then his tone softened. "Marriage isn't something you do to save a relationship or fix one. You don't marry someone because you're afraid it won't last; you marry someone because you know it will. It's a _big deal_."

"_You don't really get what it is to be married... It's just a really big difference between marrying a person and marrying an idea."_

"I love you. We love each other. We _will_ last." He couldn't let this go, because there was still that tiny _what if. _What if they didn't?

"If we're still together, then we'll come back to this in a few years. We can do that." Kurt smiled. "But we may be different people by then. I know I've already changed since graduation, and I'm sure I'll change more. You'll change, too. If we grow apart, that's okay. You can't force things like this."

Blaine wasn't sure what hurt more, the rejection itself or being told by the love of his life that it would be _okay_ for them to drift apart. He didn't want to, didn't think he could mature to the point of not loving Kurt. What if Kurt outgrew him because he wouldn't let them grow together?

"And... maybe you should see other people." Blaine whipped his head up from where it'd been looking down at his hands. Kurt had redirected his gaze to the other side of the room, clearly uncomfortable. "Only if you want to, of course, but know that it's okay to be attracted to other people. Like I said, I'm not trying to lead you on. It's not fair of me to monopolize you. Even when you get to New York, you might want to try dating some of the guys you meet there. I'd be willing to wait."

"Kurt..." Blaine started carefully. "I'm not sure I understand what you're telling me. Sometimes... you talk like we'll get back together, but other times you say that we won't. You want to be together because you still have feelings for me, but you don't want to be together. What does that mean? What do I do with that?"

"No! Well, yes. I mean," Kurt breathed a frustrated huff, unable to get his thoughts out correctly. "I mean that I know we still love each other. We're just not in the right place to do it right now. Sometimes, love's not enough. If you come to New York and still want me – _us_ – then we can try again. In the meantime, we'll focus on ourselves."

"So... you'll wait for me?" Blaine questioned with a small, hopeful grin.

Kurt rocked forward to press their foreheads together, letting his eyes close. "Yes," he breathed against the other's lips. "I guess I will. But remember that there's more to life than us, and remember that you have other options, if you want."

"I don't."

"But you can."

They sat together in companionable silence, one having given up way more than he'd intended and the other having come out with much less than he'd intended. They breathed each other's air, coming to terms with their truce.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered, afraid to break the silence and find that their past conversation hadn't happened at all.

"Hmm?"

"Can I... Can I _please_ kiss you?"

Kurt pulled back, opening his eyes. _No, don't leave. Forget I said anything._ He checked the time, figuring out how much longer he had before he needed to leave. He glanced at Blaine, debating. Was this really good for either of them? Did he honestly care?

"Okay."

Suddenly, their lips were locked together and it was just as both remembered: passionate, loving, _effortless_. Without breaking contact, Blaine got up on his knees to give himself a height advantage and Kurt's head tilted back to accommodate the shift. Kurt lifted his hands to Blaine's face, cupping his jaw. It was sweet and bitter and almost a goodbye but not quite. Finally, the separated to catch their breath.

"One more." And Kurt pressed his lips back up to meet Blaine's.

Later, after Burt came in to take Kurt to the airport and after Blaine had gone home, he remembered the two kisses they'd shared. The second had been shorter, less intense, but it'd felt like a promise. It was a promise of forever, if both of them were willing to work for it.

"_You think you two are meant to be?"_

"Yes!"

"Do you think you two have a true love?"

"Yes!"

"Then stop worrying."

He didn't need a ring to prove that they were forever, but maybe he'd keep it anyway.

…

_Author's Notes:_

_This just didn't even want to be written. That's partly because I've actually been thinking a lot about a one-shot that I want to do, which should be up soon, if you're interested. If not, well, there's a useless fact for you._

_I'm also thinking about writing another chapter for this, even though the original intention had been to leave it at three. Suggestions/opinions on the matter are cool. You know, if you want to. I guess. Whatever._

_Anyway, I guess I'll list complete for now._

_Still un-betaed. Reviews, good or bad, are welcome._

_Thanks for reading!_


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